McAfee’s positive leadership a significant legacy lost for Windham

Former Windham High School Principal and
community champion Deb McAfee passed
away from cancer on May 18. She will be
remembered as a tireless advocate for
students and a reliable volunteer for
charitable causes in Windham.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA    

By Ed Pierce and Andrew Wing

Former Windham High School Principal Deb McAfee would often tell students that “The only thing you take with you when you’re gone is what you leave behind” and that quote seems to best sum up her life and 38-year career as an educator before she passed away from cancer on May 18.

Devoted to her community and always encouraging the best from her students, McAfee leaves behind a legacy of service and leadership that will not be forgotten by those who knew her and generations to come.

She grew up in Portland and earned degrees from the University of Maine Farmington and the University of Southern Maine. Her first teaching job was at the Maine Youth Center, now called the Long Creek Youth Development Center. She later taught at Mahoney Middle School and became an assistant principal at Mountain Valley, Medomak Valley and Waterville High School.

In 1990, McAfee was named as the principal at Medomak Valley High and joined Windham High School as principal for the 1996-1997 school year. She served as Windham principal for 14 years, stepping down in 2010 to undergo treatment for cancer before returning in the fall of 2011 as the school’s assistant principal and held that position for seven years before retiring in 2018.

RSU 14 Superintendent Chris Howell said McAfee played a significant role in the development and construction of Windham High as principal.

“Completing a renovation/addition of a school while it is in session is a very difficult task to complete. In addition to the organizational skills that are required to keep classes going during construction, there is also a need to coordinate the safety needs of a school in the middle of a construction site,” he said. “I doubt that the public is aware of the number of hours that it took for Deb to coordinate all of the moving pieces during the construction of Windham High School.”

Of all the things Howell says he learned from McAfee, showing up and being present for student activities and games means the most to him.

“Deb was always in attendance at Windham High School games and activities. She loved bragging about the achievements of her students, and you could frequently find the latest Portland Press Herald, or The Windham Eagle article taped to her door. Beyond students, Deb had a love for taking care of the individuals that she worked with. Her appreciation might appear as a small gift in your mailbox or a kind email or note. Deb will ultimately be remembered for her generosity of time and resources to the people that she worked with and the students that she served.”

Windham High Assistant Principal Phil Rossetti remains in awe of McAfee’s ability to connect with everyone.

“Deb was present for everything, and she knew every student, parent, community member. She knew that our school was the center of the community and she wanted it to serve that purpose,” he said. When the school went through renovations, she made the auditorium a major focus of the project.”

According to Rossetti, McAfee pushed her colleagues at WHS to all be the best persons and educators possible.

“I personally learned the value of community in the work we do. Education takes a community partnership which was evidenced in Deb’s work,” he said. “I hope that we can all take a minute and reflect on how we can give back to our community in honor of Deb.”

Marge Govoni, who served with McAfee on Windham’s Human Services Advisory Committee, said Deb’s drive to help others was enormous.

“She cared for and about everyone, no matter the age, or gender,” Govoni said. “She wanted to help everyone, and she was the kindest individual I ever met. If you needed anyone to step up to help, Deb was your person. There is no one story that speaks to her commitment when she decided to help, whether it was her continued support to her students and there were many, all the work she did with Neighbors Helping Neighbors, her guidance and commitment to the Human Services Advisory Committee and lastly her work with the Age Friendly endeavor that she was helping to lead until now. I don’t think she ever had an unkind word about anyone, and our community has lost a champion that you felt proud to call your friend and she will be missed by many.”

Through the years she worked closely with hundreds of teachers, but she had history with one teacher that dates back almost 30 years. Patricia Soucy, a Spanish teacher at Windham for the past 25 years, first taught at Medomak Valley High where Deb was principal. But when McAfee got the job in Windham, she needed a Spanish teacher and offered it to Soucy.

“She was such a powerful mentor to me,” said Soucy. “Deb’s support and encouragement for the 28 years she has been my friend, boss and mentor have made me the teacher I am today.”

Kim Dubay, the current WHS Administrative Assistant to the Director of Student Services, says she’s grateful for all McAfee taught her during their many years working together.

“Deb was loyal, kind, supportive, generous and humble,” said Dubay. “She was always quick to acknowledge that every employee of Windham High School had an important role to play in order for the school to run successfully.”

WHS Social Studies teacher Susan Hapenney said McAfee was exactly what the school needed, and she made it her goal to bring the town together and build a new and improved school.

“It’s due to her tireless work that we have the beautiful building and grounds that we have today,” said Hapenney. “We will all miss her constant presence and her infectious laugh.”

Kelly Dubay, a WHS 2009 graduate, said her mother had worked with McAfee and got to know her before she attended high school.

“I feel privileged to have known her for so long, and with me growing up in the sports world, I remember she attended every sporting event that she was able to throughout the years to support all of her students,” said Dubay. “She constantly had a smile on her face, and it truly made such an impact on me to walk by her in the halls and see her smiling, no matter how my day was going.”

2017 WHS graduate Ally Stephen said her best memory of McAfee took place at a school pep rally. McAfee was going through chemotherapy at the time and then-principal Howell asked students to give her a round of applause.

"I remember seeing her so happy in that moment,” said Stephen. “She was a genuine light in that school, always greeting everyone with a smile no matter what she was going through, and she will be incredibly missed.” <

Christine Hesler and Chris Howell awarded Educational Champion Award - By Michelle Libby

Last week at the annual High School Redesign in Action conference, Christine Hesler, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for RSU14 and Windham High School principal Chris Howell were awarded 2016 Educational Champion awards from the New England Secondary School Consortium, which hosted the conference. 
 

This was the fourth time Hesler and Howell have attended the conference and Hesler presented at two sessions. 

People from each state in New England and a regional award were given accolades for their “unique contributions to the effort to raise graduation rates, lower dropout rates and send more students on to college and post-secondary certification programs in Maine.”  

Hesler and Howell were nominated by the Maine Department of Education and two employees there. “It’s flattering when schools who are trying to do some good things are recognized,” said Howell. The RSU has been reaching out to other schools all over the state and even other states to help them create programs that benefit students. 

Hesler and Howell were awarded partially for their work with proficiency-based learning. “We’re trying to make learning as transparent as possible to the students,” Howell said. For three years, the teachers and administrations have been working on developing a curriculum that benefits students - one that is “rigorous and relevant” to them. “Kids can make choices when they leave here. The choice is not dictated to them,” he said. He doesn’t want to see a student have no choice because of a minimal curriculum path.

“We have had the support of the leadership team and teachers. They pushed us to find answers. They’re represented in the award,” Hesler said. “I’m really proud of our staff and what they’ve been able to accomplish.” 

Others who were this awarded this year were state board of education chairmen, presidents and CEOs of major corporations and executive directors of non-profits. 

“A senator won it last year. College presidents win, I’m kind of in shock, but it’s very nice,” said Hesler.  “We’re proud to represent the RSU.” 

“Mrs. Hesler and Mr. Howell were two of seven Champions recognized this year for their extraordinary commitment to ensuring that public-school student across New England have a chance to succeed in school, live a fulfilled and meaningful life, and make a positive contribution to the world,” said Blythe Armitage from Great Schools Partnership based in Portland.  

Hesler, along with teachers Jeff Riddle and Amy Denecker, and Sarah Plummer, from the Portland Water District, discussed the book their class wrote and published last year called “Discovering Water”.  On the new website www.discoveringwater.org people can see how the book came together, the team and the presentation they did at the conference, which was not only presented at the conference, but streamed live to other states. 

Students at WHS are now working on an interactive iBook for people everywhere to be able to read

and learn about water. The book is currently being used in every sixth grade in the state, Hesler said.

The students who worked on this book, graduated from WHS as published authors, photographers and graphic artists, she added. Howell is pleased that the school is able to reach out to community partners and non-profits that want to partner with the students in projects. 

“I’m excited for Chris, He’s working really hard at the high school. We’re extremely fortunate to have him,” said Hesler. 

 “These champions do this through their deep thinking, their tireless energy, and their unwavering commitment to students they will never know. Far too few students will ever know that their lives have been positively influenced by the efforts of the 2016 New England Secondary School Consortium Champions," said David Ruff, executive director of the Great Schools Partnership and the New England Secondary School Consortium.

“We are able to have hard conversations with the Department of Education to tell them we need tools to do the job well,” Hesler said.

Hesler serves on the board of directors for the Maine Curriculum Leaders’ Association representing Cumberland County. Howell currently serves on the board of Jobs for Maine’s Graduates and on the advisory board for the School Education and Human Development at the University of Southern Maine. At the state level, he is a long-time board member for the Maine Curriculum Leaders’ Association. 

Howell also has served on several advisory councils for the Maine Department of Education. 

“Now we get back to work. We have much more we need to do,” Howell said. “It’s nice to be recognized, but there still a lot to do. We will still be engaged in state level policy making.” 

Howell is currently working with his team on updating the curriculum pathways to ensure that all students have a chance to meet the graduation standards as laid out, that assessments given measure the standards and targets and forming additional pathways that can help students meet standards in a non-traditional way.

“We don’t do the work for awards, we do it for the kids,” Hesler said.